To close out African American History Month, I’ve been
looking at the work of Lisa Corinne Davis.
What is great about many contemporary artists is that their work often defies
any categorization or demonstrative stylistic assignment. For African American
artists, this trend actually began—in a major way— in the 1960s with the group Spiral in New York. Spiral, while concerned with furthering African American equality
in the entrenched art gallery world, posited that African American artists
could represent their culture even if their work was abstract or did not
contain overt symbolism of the black struggle for equality in the US.

Davis’ paintings consciously defy the viewer to identify or
label forms and force a system of order on a personal idiom of abstraction. Her
fluid forms run the gamut of influence from implied geography, exoskeletal
forms, spores, and cancer cells to flora and fauna.

Detail of Willfully Whimsical

In Willfully Whimsical,
the viewer’s eye is encouraged to explore the complex overlays of forms without
coming to a conclusion about what they might mean overall. Being the nerdy art
historian that I am, however, I am tempted to interpret some of the grid-like
forms with seeing a city or farm land from way above in a plane. That being
said, the breadth of diversity of Davis’ forms is truly stunning, as well as
her remarkable use of color. Check out more of her work at the Lesley Heller Workspace.

Davis, an African American of mixed heritage, was born in Baltimore.
For fourteen years she has taught at Parsons School of Design, Cooper Union,
and Yale University. She is currently an associate professor at Hunter College
in New York. She lives and works in Brooklyn.

Studio activity: An imaginative interpretation of an object
that is important in everyday life. Disregard concern about realism, and
exaggerate elements of the object to create a unique composition. Study the
object carefully and use markers or watercolor to create an interpretation. Use
the principles of design to produce a unique composition: balance, pattern,
proportion, rhythm and movement, contrast, emphasis, variety and unity.